At 07:58 PM 23/10/2007 -0400, Kenneith Homer wrote:
>Subscribed to CR today. The Ideale saddle discussion caught my interest. On
>my workbench, there is an Ideale 80 type record saddle immersed in neatsfoot
>oil. The saddle was taken from a Peugeot that I bought in 1973. Loaned the
>bike to my son a few years ago. The bike was left unprotected outside for a
>while. When I took the bike back, the saddle had the consistency of wood.
>After soaking in the oil for about two weeks, it is somewhat pliable. Got
>the neatsfoot oil idea from the internet. I have decided to remove the
>saddle from the oil and allow it to drain dry. Can anyone tell me whether I
>have done the right thing? If not, do you have an alternative procedure?
>Should I bury it in the back yard? Would like to use it on the Peugeot. I
>had the frameset powdercoated, cleaned everything up. It has Simplex Super
>LJ derailleurs, old style Dura Ace brakes, really beautiful. Using the
>original seat would top it off. Thanks in advance for your advice. Ken Homer
You probably won't get a concensus on this one. There are lots of people who claim neatsfoot oil will destroy a saddle because it breaks down the leather. I found it put life back into a hard Brooks Swallow I have with no ill effects. Others swear by Brooks Proofhide, but I doubt if it could resurrect a pertified saddle. Soaking it for 2 weeks may well be a bit extreme, but I guess you had nothing to lose.
(BTW, you should start signing off with your city/state/country before the listmeister catches you.)
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada